Real vs Man Utd is a match the world is waiting for: Mourinho

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has expressed his excitement at the upcoming Champions League fixture while also re-affirming his “fantastic relationship” with counterpart Alex Ferguson.

Mourinho described Real’s mouth-watering pre-quarter-final first leg clash with Man United as “the match the world is waiting for”.

United travel to the Bernabeu for the first leg of their last-16 tie tomorrow, and Mourinho was seen at Old Trafford watching the current EPL leaders beat Everton 2-0 and extend the gap between themselves and Manchester City to 12 points.

“It is the match the world is waiting for,” Mourinho told MUTV.

“The world is not waiting for other matches in the Champions League, so I hope we can give the world what they are waiting for.”

Mourinho, who has won the Champions League on two occasions with Porto and Inter, is known to enjoy a good relationship with Ferguson, and was quick to praise his managerial counterpart.

“I feel privileged about that because he is such an important person in the world of football and, more importantly, he is good person,” Mourinho said of Ferguson.

“I have always had a fantastic relationship with him and I am proud of that. We have had so many matches between us —beginning with when I was at Porto. We had some with Chelsea, Inter and now Real. At all of my clubs I have met Manchester United and Alex.

“Of course, I want to win and he wants to win, but I believe the loser will have a space to feel a little bit happy because of the friendship. But I want to win,” said Mourinho.